Reading-rate device



ecu 15. 1953 E. A. SIMPSON READING-RATE DEVICE 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed April 18, 1951 I it JTN

Dec. 15, 1953 E. A. SIMPSON 2,662,307

READING-RATE DEVICE Filed April 18, 1951 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 DUO DD DUDDDU 22 Dec. 15, 1953 SIMPSON 2,662,307

READING-RATE DEVICE Filed April 18, 1951 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 Dec. 15, 1953 E. A. SIMPSON READING-RATE DEVICE 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed April 18, 1951 EDD? Patented Dec. 15, 195.?

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE READING-RATE DEVICE Elizabeth A. Simpson, Chicago, 111.

Application April 18, 1951, Serial No. 221,558

12 Claims. (CI. 35-35) This invention relates to a device for improving reading speed. Most particularly the invention relates to an improvement in the type of machine in which the reading-rate of the user is improved by masking off successive portions of a page in order to prevent re-reading of material previously read. The present application is a continuation-in-part of the applicant's application Serial No. 77,235, filed February 18, 1949.

It is now known that a common difficulty in attaining efficiency in reading is that the memcient reader is prone to re-read the same material a number of times. It is therefore an established technique in the promotion of reading efliciency to continuously cover the material read with a masking curtain in order to aid the inefiicient reader to become accomplished in absorbing the material being read upon a single perusal thereof. As practice is gained in this regard, the rate at which the masking curtain is moved over the printed matter is gradually increased. Thus, after an extended period of such practice, the reading ability and efiiciency of most persons is found to be greatly improved.

Machines suitable for use in such teaching and practice have heretofore been devised. The ones in common use are adaptations of the machine first described at pages 67 to 69 of a monograph by Professor G, T. Buswell, entitled Remedial Reading at the College and Adult Levels published by the University of Chicago in November 1939, as No. 50 of a series entitled Supplementary Educational Monographs.

The machines now employed in such remedial and developmental teaching of reading are'subject to a large number of difiiculties and inconveniences in use. The present invention provides a machine of the general type described above which is simple and convenient both in construction and use, and which is suitable for employment with many types of reading matter without disassembly or destruction of'the read Fig. 4 is a front sectional view taken along the offset line 4-4 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary enlarged view taken along the line 5-5 of Fig. 4;

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary detailed view of a bearing support incorported in the embodiment illustrated;

Fig, '7 is a sectional view of a spring detent incorporated in the embodiment;

Fig. 8 is a side elevation of the machine together with a mounting and reading-matter support constituting a portion of the invention;

Fig. 9 is a plan view of the device of Fig. 8;

Fig. 10 is a plan view of a mask attachment illustrating the manner of attachment thereof; and

Fig. 11 is a sectional view taken on the line ll-H of Fig. 10.

Referring now to the drawing, the machine consists in general of a drive chassis generally indicated by the numeral lo, a reading frame [2 extending outward from the drive chassis I0 and an opaque straight-edged masking curtain l4, serving as a line-indicating member, movable over the frame 12, which supports and guides the line-indicating member for movement perpendicular to the straight edge thereof. The drive chassis I0 is contained within a housing l6. Journalled in the end walls l8 of the housing I6 is a shaft 20. Keyed to the shaft 20, which is flattened on one side, is a hub 22 having aflattened shaft opening and bearing a friction wheel 24 of rubber. The hub 22 is slideable along the shaft 20, but relative rotation between the wheel 24 and the shaft 20 is prevented by the aforementioned keying. Sprocket wheels 25 and 28 are rigidly mounted on the shaft 20 toward the sides of the machine. At the extreme end of the shaft 20, adjacent one of the side walls I8, is a spur gear 36 for purposes hereinafter to be described.

Immediately below the sprocket wheels 26 and 28 are upwardly facing spring supports 32 having vertical portions 34 secured to the front wall 36 of the housing Hi. The supports 32 are longitudinally slotted at 38, to receive the ends of the teeth 46 of the sprocket wheels'26 and 28, Beneath the supports 32 is a roller 42 mounted on a shaft 44 which traverses the housing H6. The roller 42 comprises a tube 46 closed at the ends by discs 48, which are secured to the shaft 44. The tube 46 is longitudinally slotted at 50 and flattened adjacent the slot. Through the slot 56 is threaded the end of the opaque masking curtain l4, of plastic film or other suitably flexible 3 material. The masking curtain I4 has spaced apertures 52 along the margins thereof, receiving the teeth 40 of the sprocket wheels 26 and 28. The outer end of the masking curtain I4 is clamped between a pair of rigid members 60. Mounted on the front of the housing I6, and extending forward therefrom, is the frame I2, comprising side members 62 secured to an outer end member 54. Thesid e members 62 are slotted on the inneifi surfaces thereof to receive the outer edges of the masking ciirtain I4. The rigid end members 60 attached to the masking curtain [4 are of lesser width than the curtain I4 and slide between the side members 62. The roller is spring biased by a torsion spring fifl which wound around the end of the shaft" 44, one end being attached to the roller 42, and-thezotherend to the side wall I8, in such a direction as to roll the curtain I4 onto the roller 42 in the absence of other forces. The front wall 36 of the housing it isslot-ted at 1-0, andthecurtain- I4 enters the frame I2 through thissldt. Upon the. frame I is, mounted a. stop or. limit member 12 which may be adjusted in positin along the frame I2 and which, has a portion. 14: extending between the. side members 82 of. the. frame sufficiently to engage the upper rigid member 60 at the e'ndof theeurtain I4, and clainpportions I5 s'eeuririgit to the side membersGZ, sothat thesidemembers izlservev astracks towhich. the limit member .12 isslideably clamped. The upper end member. thusserves as a limit member on the mobile as-: sembly abutting againstthe limit member I2 on thestationary assembly to fix the upper end. of thestroke of the. line-indicating member.

It will be seen that in the absence of exterior force, the. mechanism thus. far described. nermally retains the outer end of the curtain I4 against thestop I2, which is thus adjustable in position. It willfurther be seen. that rotationof thewheel 24 in the appropriatev direction. rotates the sprocket; wheels 26 and 28. to lower the cur tain' I4 over successive linesof reading mater: rial; engagement. of thesproeketteeth with the apertures 52wbeing madeseciire by the slotted spring supports 32. Upon the release ofthe wheel 24, the. curtain, immediately returns. to the withdrawn position determined by the stop .12,-

Rivotedonthe cover. 80 of the housing I6..isan eccentrically shaped plate 82. which is held flat against thecover 801by. a compression spring- 0.4. melintedonthe pivot. 86. Depending fromthe horizontal eccentric plateB2 are vertical support plates 9.0- and. 92. toward opposite ends thereof; Mounted on. the outer surface of the. vertical support 90 is'asynch'ronous motor 94. havinga shaft. 96; protruding through. the vertical-sup port- 00 and. coupledto a shaft 9?: protruding from the center of the base. of acone. member. I00; 311818436X. of theecone being journalled in the end of a bearing screw I02 threaded through the opposite support platen; and the shaftB'I-being jeurnalledin abracket-QQ secured to the. support plates90. To theunder surface of theiouter'end ofthe plate 82*;is secured the innerend of a lever I04, theouterend of which protrudesnomthe drive chassis I0 through slot I06. in the-side. wall I8; Atension springIOB having one. endsecured to. the lever I04 and theother endto the cover 8i); biases the. plate 82 toward the. rotational position wherein the outer eneofthe plate 82 is toward the back of the drive chassis, the. limit of motion being fixedby the. back end otthe slot I00;;(this position is. not illustrated); WhenIthe lever I04 is drawn forward; 'the front surface- 4 of the cone I00 is substantially parallel with the shaft 20 and engages the wheel 24 irrespective of the position of the hub 22 along the shaft 20. The cone I00 may be engaged and disengaged from the wheel 24 by movement of the lever I04, and the speed of motion of the wheel 24 induced by the constant speed motor 94 is variable in an extremely large ratio by variation of the position of the wheel 24 along the shaft 20, the variation being eontinuou srather than in discrete steps.

it will be seen that with the mechanism thus far described, engagement of the cone I00 with the wheel 24 by forward motion of the lever I04 commences motion of the curtain I4 outward over the frame I2. Upon release of the lever I04, the cone I08 is disengaged from the wheel 24 by thespring I;00,- and; the curtain I4 is returned to the position determined by the stop '12. Moveof the wheel 24 along the shaft 20 to vary the drive speed of the curtain I4 is accomplished bymeans of a guideyoke II 0 which bears against the hu'b22- on. either side without interfering with therotation thereof, the. yoke IIO. having a bolt H2 protruding outthrough the slot H4 in the front. plate 38; a: knob IIS being threaded onto thebolt H2 and.- serving both to permit adjustment of. the position of! the yoke and the locking thereof. by tightening of. the knob IIiupon the bolt H2; A pointer I20.secured to the yoke and a scale I22 on the chassis I0 provide a speed calibration.

Attachedlto-the cover plate and extending along. the. slot I06;pa-rallelwith the cover plate 80" is a. spring detent: I 24 having an elongated fiat. spring member I26, to the under surfaced! which is securedacatch member I28. The catch meriiherv lzs'lha. an-abruptly sloping surface I30 and aig ently slopingsiir'face I32. When the lever I04 is phlled. forward from. its normally rear ward, position, it, engages the gradually sloping surface; I32; toraisethe detent I24, When the lever I04aisa sufllcientl'y forward so that the cone I00 engagesthewheel 24, the detent snaps back into the IOWBIEdzPGSllliOIl, and the lever I04 is locked in place, the sloping surface I30 aiding urging thecone. I00 intosecure engagement with the Wheel 24';

At the xtrenidbutr. end of the detent I24is a shoe .l34. Meshing with the gear 30 at the end ofitheshaft 20 .=isan idler gear I40 journalled in thesidewall I8. Securedto the surface of the idlergear I401, which is of larger diameter'than thefigear 30:, is a lever cam I42, which strikes the shoe I34.:-to-releas'e' thedetent I24 and allow the lever I0.4 to. return to the normalpos'ition in which-the; coneploflczis disengaged from the wheel- 2-4; 'IhelcamJM-is. thus alirnit member on the mobile... assembly. abutting against. the shoe I24; whichihusconstitutes a limit member on the stationary; assembly, to fix-the lower end of the stroke of "the .lineiridicating membera When the detentd241s.thusdisengaged the spring 68 serves not-only' toiwithdrawthe. curtain I4 but also drives the sprockets 26 and 28 and thus the gear Illrbaekxtosa fixed position determinedby the positiori ofthe curtain stop 12. Thus, the point at whio'h the detentIH-is disengaged. by the cam I42 is cens'tantirrespective of the speed of the. motor or of the preset withdrawn positionof the cuftain-IIIaS-determiIied by the stop 12. The position of the cam I42-is such that it disengages the detent I24 when the curtain reaches a point where the outerehd G0 is immediatelyadjacent the blltl end 04 of'the frame. The machine is therefore adjustable to any length of page of 5 reading matter. Upon completion of a page, the curtain automatically withdraws to the retracted position corresponding to the top line and is ready for the reading of another page.

It will be noted that with the construction shown, the cone mechanism and motor are mounted substantially independently of the rest of the drive mechanism, and may readily be withdrawn for servicing or replacement by removal of the cover plate 80.

In Fig. 8 is shown the machine described above together with a combination machine-mount and reading board. To the board I50 are attached extension arms I52, to which is attached a foldable support lid. The drive chassis i is mounted on the extension arms I52 by links 1156, the chassis l0 being pivoted upon the links I55 on a horizontal axis rearward of the center of gravity of the machine and the links I56 being pivoted on the arms I52. A book or other reading matter may be placed on the board i59 beneath the frame l2, which thus rests on the reading matter, and it is necessary merely to grasp the frame it to tip the machine to swing the line-indicating member away from the reading material support in order to replace the reading material or to turn the page when a book or similar matter is employed without disturbing the setting of the stroke of the line-indicating member. The double pivoting of the links I56 maintains the frame l2 substantially parallel with, and resting upon, the reading material, irrespective of the thickness of the book employed.

In Figures 10 and 11 is illustrated a mask attachment whereby the machine illustrated may be employed as a tachistoscope for instantaneous viewing of words and symbols. Tachistoscopic instruments commonly employed in teaching and testing of reading ability have heretofore been separate from instruments of the progressive masking type described in the intro-. ductory portion hereof. The mask attachment of Figures 10 and 11 consists of a masking sheet 200 having a viewing slit 292 and tabs or hooks 294 removably fastening the sheet 200 to the rigid member 69 at the outer end of the masking curtain M. The sheet 260 slides through a slot 206 in the outer end member 64 of the frame l2.

It will be seen that the machine illustrated and described above incorporates features which render it of broad utility in remedial and developmental teaching :and practice of reading. The structural features which render the machine usable with a large variety of reading materials are particularly advantageous, in addition to the adaptability of the machine to tachistoscopic use. With a machine such as that illustrated, teaching or practice need not be done with materials specially prepared for the purpose; the reader may employ any ordinary reading material which he would read for other purposes, such as for entertainment, education, and similar normal reading. It is found that the great majority of books of the familiar stiflbound type which are commonly found in home libraries and used for extended reading, recreational or otherwise, such :as fiction, biography, etc., have a typographical page height (total page height less margins) of approximately from to 7 inches. Thus a machine wherein the total stroke of the masking or line-marking member as defined by a shiftable stop mem her is variable between 5 and 7 inches is adequate to permit convenient utilization of a considerable segment of the reading materials 6 commonly encountered. "The ratio of the max: imum stroke of the masking member to the minimum stroke should be at least '7 to 6 'to provide ease of operation with asu'bstantial diversity of common reading material. In order to provide in addition adaptability to such relatively small reading materials as the popu- 'lar paper-bound pocket-size books, which are as small as approximately 4 inches in typographical page height, and such relatively large reading materials as encyclopedias, magazines, and. legal, medical and other scientific and technical books, which commonly are of a typographical page height of 8 inches or more, the ratio of the maximum stroke to the minimum stroke should be at least 2 to 1'. In the embodiment of the invention illustrated, the minimum stroke of the shutter is essentially zero, thus facilitating use of the machine with small materials such as symbol cards and similar educational and test materials. Continuous adjustability for size, as opposed to :adjusta-bility in discrete steps is provided in the illustrated embodiment.

It will be understood that the embodiment of the invention herein illustrated is cap-able of a large number of changes and modifications without departing from the spirit of the invention. Persons skilled in the art, upon examination of the foregoingde'scription and of the drawing, will readily devise many 'machines which, although far different in appearance, nevertheless embody the teachings of the invention. The scope of the invention shall therefore be deemed limited only by the appended.

claims.

What is claimed is:

l In a reading device comprising a line-indi cating member having :a straight edge, guide means supporting and guiding the line-indi'cating member for movement in a direction per-- pendicular to the straight edge, drive means coupled to the line-indicating member to drive the line-indicating member in said direction, a reading material support, and means connect-- ing the guide means and the reading material support to hold the guide means and the readmg material support in such relative position that said motion of the line-indicating member progresses the straight edgeover successive lines of reading material which may be placed on the reading material support, the improvement wherein the means connecting the guide means and the reading material support comprises a rigid linking member, a pivotal connection connecting the guide means and the linking member, and a pivotal connection connecting the linking member and the reading material support, whereby the pathof the line-indicating member may be maintained parallel to reading material resting onthe reading material support despite variations of the distance between the line-indicating member and the reading material support made to accommodate varying thicknesses of reading material, and the lineindicating member may be swung away from the reading material support for .replacement or.

turning of'pages of the reading material.

2. In a device for improving reading ability comprisinga line-indicating member having a straight edge, means for supporting and guiding the line-indicating member for movement in a direction perpendicular to the straight edge, drive means coupled to the line-indicating memher to drive the line-indicating member in a direction perpendicular to the straight edge at manually selected constantspeeds, and-means for mounting said elements in. operative rein! ime. th improvemen e mpri ins a mscenic masking sheet having at least one new ins aperture tberethrough. and cooperating dis nsasea le fastening means on the line-1min eatin member and on the tschistosconic mask: ns sheet, wh reby the device may be employ as a pro ressive iinedndicatins device or as e eehistoscone,

3- ':I'be d vice at claim 2 wherein there are mended a. t ansverse member and means m1- unmm n s id transverse member in the plane t" 919 3911. 05 the li o indieating member. and paral el. erewi h. said transverse member have ns: a slot tberet roush adapted to support and u de the ta histosc pic mas ing sheet...

a. readin device... in combination, a treish ecle d lin =indicsting member adapted. to be. pro resse over marlin: mater a a stentrsneed rive, a torsion-u couplin n e has the drive to the line-mdiieetina member to dri e th memben means. to guide the line-on. li atin member aver readin material in a d r st n pe pend cular to: the. said ed e, position- FQ RQ QHQ means; 2?! disen a e said forward coinnlinsbetween he d ive and he linedndicatine': mern' rwhen the latterreaehes a. predetermined noe ion, retr atin m ans coupled to the line,v nd at ng ta r verse he motion there if: when t e seaward couplingis: so disen a ed; and m ans to m unt said elem nts in operative a ion s iereseid,

51-, a device tor: improv n reading sp ed comautisine; a. stat on ry a sembly adapted to be placed on a table and having a, reading matgrial support portion adapted to position support eadin materials. a mobile a semb ymounted n sa d s ati nery ass m lrincludin a strai ht, da d linea n iea namember means; fo guidin t e, l nendicating: member for forward. and lie turn motion, over successive-lines; of such reading; material in a. direction perpendicular to the straight. edge, drive; means; coupled to. the lineindicating member to drinte, it in: theforward direction over the reading material; and:v cooperating limit members respectively on the stationary assembly and on themobilenassemblyy a limit member onthe mobilit -assembly abutting against :a limit member-on the stationary assemblyto fig; one end of" the stroke of theiine indlcatingmembeer and a limit membenon the mobileassembly :abutting against a limit member on the stationary-assembly to fix theopposlte cnd-oitlge stroke of the line-indicating memben thc,imprgvediii n struction wherein there are provided means for varying" Position a ea t ne Q15 sa d limit mem rs alon the: dir tion oi r lative m tion between h, limi member audit coo e ating: mi member to vary he. l ng h. otth stroke the a o i th ngest s roke.- to; the. sho testok fixed. by eidiimitmembersbeing atleest o 6 n meansfor sw nging-the, ine=indicatina memb r away omtbe ading m ter al suppnrt portion f. th stationary assembln so hat the troke or'the ne-indicatingm mber; ma besetto correspond witntheheight qfthgrgad in ma terial. on, the support. and; pages or, the; reading m s l y t tu sd witliout d et sbins: this sett 6- The ee o c aim @wherein the on est, troke at the.- l ner ndieatinesmemberis: at'least; inches and; the shortest; st oke: is; at: most /2,- inches.

'7. device. of claim: 5 whnrein the shortestmay be used with symbol cards and similar materials.

8. The device of claim 5 wherein said one limit member is slideable upon its assembly, so that the stroke may be continuously varied.

9. In a device for improving reading speed comprising a stationary assembly adapted to be placed on a table and having a reading material support portion adapted to position and support reading materials, a mobile assembly mounted on said stationary assembly including a straightedged line-indicating member, means for guiding the lineindicating member for forward and return motion over successive lines 01' such reading material in a direction perpendicular to the straight edge, drive means coupled to the lineind-icating member to drive it in the forward direction over the reading material, and cooperating limit members respectively on the stationary assembly and on the mobile assembly, a limit member on the mobile assembly abutting against a limit member on the stationary assembly to fix one end of the stroke of the line-indicating member and a limit member on the mobile assembly abutting against a limit member on the stationary assembly to fix the opposite end of the stroke of the line-indicating member, the improved construction wherein there are provided a track extending along the direction of relative motion between one of said limit members and its cooperating member, said one limit member being slideably clamped to the track to constitute means for varying the length of the stroke of the line-indicating member, the length of said track being such that the ratio of the longest stroke tothe shortest stroke fixed by said limit members is atleast '7 to 6, and'means for-swinging the lineindicating member away from the reading ma:- terial support portion of'the stationary assembly, so: that the stroke of the line-indicating member may: be set to correspond with the height of the reading material on the support, and pages of the reading material may be turned without disturbing this setting.

10. In a device for improving reading speed comprising a stationary assembly adapted to be placed on a table and having a reading material support portion adapted to position and support reading materials, a mobile assembly mounted on said stationary assembly including a straightedgeclline-indicating member, means for guiding the line=indicating member for forward and" return motion over successive lines of such reading material in a direction perpendicular to the 1 straight. edge, drive means coupled to the line indicating member to drive it in the forwarddirection over the reading material, and means on the stationary assembly and the' mobile assentbly; for limiting the' motion of the line-indicating member in. both the forward and. return directions, the; improvement comprising means on at least one; of said assemblies for substantially varying. at least oneof the limits of motion to vary the, stroke of the line-indicating member, and means forswinging the line-indicating mom:- ber away from thereading material support portion of the stationary assembly; so that the stroke of. theline-indicatingmember maybe set to cornrespond with the' height of: the reading material on. the support, and pages of the reading material maybetu-rned without disturbing this setting.

11 In. a device for improving reading speed comprising a, reading frame including two side members adapted to be placedover reading matestroke substantially: norm that the= device "trial; a line-indicating member having a straight edge extending transversely of the frame and adapted to be moved in both directions along the frame, and means coupled to the line-indicating member to drive the line-indicating member longitudinally of the frame at manually selectable constant speeds, the improvement comprising a stop member having end portions guidingly supported on the side members of the frame and slideable thereon and a central portion against which a portion of the line-indicating member abuts to define one end of the path of motion of the line-indicating member.

12. In a device for improving reading speed comprising a stationary assembly adapted to be placed on a table and having a reading material support portion adapted to position and support reading materials, a mobile assembly mounted on said stationary assembly including a straightedged line-indicating member, means for guiding the line-indicating member for forward and return motion over successive lines of such reading material in a direction perpendicular to the straight edge, drive means coupled to the lineindicating member to drive it in the forward di- 10 rection over the reading material, and means on the stationary assembly and the mobile assembly for limiting the motion of the line-indicating member in both the forward and return directlons, the improved construction wherein there are provided on the stationary assembly a rigid linking member, a pivotal connection connecting the means for guiding the line-indicating member to the linking member, and a pivotal connection connecting the linking member and the reading material support, and there are provided on at least one of said assemblies means for substantially varying at least one of the limits of motion to vary the stroke of the line-indicating member.

ELIZABETH A. S11VIPSON References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,587,886 Whitmore June 8, 1926 2,098,020 Wheeler Nov. 2, 1937 2,265,924 Oerter et a1. Dec. 9, 1941 

